"Call The Midwife has had a huge impact with audiences," said BBC One controller Danny Cohen. "It's a very high-quality drama series from a brilliant team.

"It manages to be both hard-hitting and emotional, gritty and warm. I am already looking forward to the second series."

Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, added: "Call The Midwife is a totally original mix of comedy, tears, babies and nuns and it is fantastic to see this distinctive piece of British drama win such high praise and ratings.

"We can't wait for the team to return next year and are very grateful to the vision of [original author] Jennifer Worth and [adaptation writer] Heidi Thomas."

Call The Midwife, which is made by Neal Street Productions, continues this Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.